Hey everyone. Been reading the X-Men Volume 2 (1991) run since I got into comics at the start of DC's New 52. I was able to obtain almost all issues of this volume (missing some of the recent), so I have been going on for quite an adventure reading all these issues. I first stopped around issues in the 40s as I decided I would need to find out what the Age of Apocalypse was all about (and awaited the Omnibus to release). I resumed reading and have been since and now I am on issue 113. The last part of Eve of Destruction and soon the beginning of Grant Morrison's New X-Men. I have also obtained a great majority of the Astonishing X-Men (Joss Whedon), again missing more recent issues. As well as the 8 issue House of M arc.

So I present to you all in a SPOILER FREE thread (please) with a question on how I should go about reading these issues in what order?

As it seems to say on the Comic Vine wiki page on X-Men (team) the Astonishing X-Men (Joss) begins after New X-Men (Morrison). That's fine but Astonishing's first 4 story arcs seem to be "Gifted", "Dangerous", "Torn" and "Unstoppable", but "Unstoppable" seems to be after House of M and Decimation (again, I'm looking at the Major Storylines list, which from what I have read so far has led me to believe that this list order is correct). If this is true, where do I stop Astonishing to go to House of M?

This is the first time I've found myself in this situation as there are not only the problem of figuring out order, but with multiple ongoing series, how do you guys keep pace when there are no obvious crossover indications of where what issue you should be at?

Can anybody share some advice?

Well I would stick with Astonishing as the whole series was supposed to be secluded from events and all so keep reading after you finish move onto House of M.

So you mean, continue reading until after Astonishing's "Unstoppable" arc then move on to House of M?

I suppose a way to keep in-sync among different ongoing series' now is to just check the publish dates. It may not be completely accurate but I suppose it's a good way of doing it.

That's how I read it and after you are done you can read House of M, Messiah Complex, Messiah War, and then Second Coming. Don't forget to read Giant Size Xmen #1 to finish off Astonishing, enjoy your reading you will be all caught up within the next two months if you are able to find everything and read a decent amount per day.

I have recently obtained Second Coming HC (e-bay at $25) and Messiah Complex HC (kijiji (like a canadian craigslist thing at $40), Messiah War I haven't really considered since I don't hear much about it aside from it being somewhere in the middle of those other two. I also have the Giant Size Astonishing X-men when I obtained a majority of the issues.

I might take a little longer than 2 months to read it all. Though, ever since I started New X-Men, I seem to devour those issues much quicker. I'm really liking them. At 125.

Thanks for the heads up.

Your welcome that's a good deal on Second Coming by the way enjoy all the books hope you continue after you are finished everything.

Grant Morrison New Xmen > Joss Whedon Astonishing Xmen > House of M > Messiah Complex > Messiah War > Second Coming > Schism

With everyone's suggestions I decided that there was no real easy way to discover when to read what aside from knowing what arcs take place after each other. So that led me to swap through the volume pages on comic vine in tabs to get an understanding of the irregular launches of Astonishing X-Men. Though this might probably be too specific and irrelevant to everyone else this is the list I produced as my Reading Order:

New X-Men

Astonishing X-Men 1-6, X-Men 157-163

Astonishing X-Men 7-12, X-Men 164-172

House of M 1-8, X-Men 173-176

X-Men 177-181

Astonishing X-Men 13-18, X-Men 177-192

Astonishing X-Men 19-24 + Giant Size, X-Men 193-204

Messiah Complex

Astonishing X-Men 25-30, X-Men Legacy 208-225

X-Men Legacy 226-234

Second Coming

Astonishing X-Men 31-35, X-Men Legacy 238-257

The above list contains comics and hardcovers I currently possess. All of which are complete and consecutive. Considering where I was when I started this thread last week, it's also kind of terrifying how quickly I read New X-Men. I'm at issue 157 on X-Men and issue 2 on Astonishing X-Men.

This looks like a pretty good order! I had the same problem you did (started reading with the new 52, didn't know where to start with X-Men), and the best order I've been able to find so far is this: http://howtoreadxmen.blogspot.com/ Hope it helps!

That's a really great page, thanks beggar.